Animals and humans experience pain to the elbows and hips when subjected for long periods of contact, by laying down on or otherwise, with hard surfaces. Animals in particular are subjected to a lifetime of laying on hard surfaces e.g. concrete, wood flooring, mats, and padded bedding. As a result, and as they grow older, they experience a variety of ailments leading to discomfort, calluses, pain, and even arthritis from the cold and hard surfaces they must lay on. Humans develop bed sores from prolonged exposure to hard/firm surfaces.
An invention is needed that specifically addresses the problem of pressure points for humans and animals, and especially addressing pets in their sleeping environment.
With respect to pet bedding various foams, materials, compositions and the like offer cushion and support, yet have different means of supporting the weight being applied, either by more layers of foam and padding, or by some spun, spring like material. These items are mass produced, and generally lack sufficient body weight supporting composition. Whether foams, or other materials in combination, they tend to deflect under the pressure of weight, becoming compressed, thus yielding entirely, and therefore tending towards hardness, or at best semi-hardness.
Foams tend to encapsulate the weight applied, allowing the weight to sink inward, thus requiring extra thickness sufficient to uphold the weight. Foams tend to retain heat quickly, and continue to heat up, making them uncomfortable to some. Thick compositions of foams are costly.
Even pet bedding of various forms and embodiments do not provide effective comfort, as they are generally made from polyurethane open cell foam, a petroleum based product that out-gasses overtime, or layers of various combinations of materials, all of which are generic in nature, and typically flat with little or no support, or warmth, amounting to no more than a semi-hard mat, or padding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,911 granted to McAlister for Cushion for a Household Pet features layers of raw, unwoven, uncovered polyester. However, this cushion suffers from compression when weight is applied and it does not provide uniform distribution of weight under pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,257 granted to Feibus for Pet Support Cushion features layers of discrete material. However, this cushion also suffers from compression when weight is applied and it does not provide uniform distribution of weight under pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,604 granted to Holte for Orthopedic Pet Cushion addresses orthopedic benefits by utilizing slow recovery visco-elastic foam. However, foam does not distribute weight vertically, it collapses under pressure, and will not recover until the weight is removed. When weight is applied, foam is compressed and becomes compacted by some measured thickness into a film with nearly zero counterforce, save the little resilience inherent to specific types of foam. Also, foams have a tendency to overheat and absorb more than can be dissipated. Additionally, foams outgas and deteriorate over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,184 granted to Yates for Gel Cushion discloses thermoplastic gel with voids. However, unlike the close configuration of gel springs, with bellows and bellows junctions (in between gel springs) which provide efficient body suspension system, gels with large void configurations collapse/fold over when weight is applied, resulting in the void spaces being filled into by the thin membrane walls, which translates into a flat, thin cushion with irregular surface contour. Gel springs provide counter pressure/spring back, as well as yielding to the weight applied. Additionally the interlocking configuration between the gel springs and the junctions act as a friction against collapse, reinforcing the suspension like support.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,434,748 to Pearce for Cushions Comprising Gel Springs discloses cylindrical gel structures. However, cylindrical gel springs without bellows would not provide the same friction with said forces being applied and would most easily fold over flat, not retaining the vertically parallel positions of the cylinders when weight is not present.